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Big Mac to Big Data: Why Mcdonald’s is betting its future on digital innovation
The fast food industry has been experiencing plenty of headwinds in the last few years: a shift in consumer preferences toward healthier options, the rise in fast casual restaurants like Chipotle and Sweet Greens, as well as the on-demand economy that's creating opportunities for restaurants to deliver value through online delivery and convenience.
McDonald's is trying to get ahead of this by investing in upgrading their stores to be more consumer-oriented and convenient, but more importantly, investing in big data to understand its customers better.
Will McDonald's super-sized investment in digital pay off?
The U.S. Fast Food Industry
The trends driven by the millennial’s push toward a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle has resulted in less traffic in physical stores, a fragmented market that is increasingly catering its product offering to health-minded individuals, and a rise in food and labor costs . Food costs may increase by as much as 5.4%, putting pressure on the already thin margins of the industry.
To survive in this increasingly competitive landscape, fast food restaurant chains need to be creative and leverage innovative technology to respond to fast-changing market trends. To increase top-line growth, menus are getting more complex, plant-based options are being integrated, and new product innovations such as CBD-infused products are on the rise. Restaurants must now figure out how to extract the most value from their customers, increase their loyalty to the brand, and understand at a unit level which of their products are most profitable. At the same time, costs are controlled by consolidating stores and stream-lining operations.
A key success factor in achieving both sides of the equation is digital innovation. Labor costs can be drastically reduced by incorporating self-service kiosks, which also reduces wait times – therefore optimizing the customer experience.
Behind the trends: Burger King struggling to keep up [2a]
Rising food and labor costs, less foot traffic, and a general aversion toward unhealthy fast food has been difficult for Burger King. They were behind other fast food restaurants in upgrading their stores. They’re also falling behind on the convenience aspect of the customer experience relative to McDonald’s and Dominos delivery services. The reason is that its competitors started digital innovation years ago, ensuring that Burger King will have to play catch up. In the second quarter the company said US comparable sales increased by 1.8%, and in the third quarter that figure slipped 0.7%. Same-store US sales rose by 2.4% in the third quarter at McDonald’s [2b].
In addition to all these headwinds, McDonald’s made an announcement that it will invest $6 billion toward modernizing most of its US restaurants by 2020. What exactly is this company doing with all this money?
McDonald’s bet on digital
In order to address the headwinds above, McDonald’s has decided to bet its future on a more digital world. Their efforts are focused on a number of initiatives that aim to understand their customers better and create a more seamless customer experience through in-store and online channels:
- Big Data : The biggest bet that the company is making ($300 M to be exact) is in data analytics, specifically with machine learning firm Dynamic Yield, an outfit out of Israel. McDonald’s drive through’s are now outfitted with digital menus that change its offerings and tailors promotions based on the weather, time of day, local traffic, nearby events, and of course historical sales data, both at that specific franchise and around the world. The expectation is to see to see the technology in 1,000 locations within the next three months, eventually rolling out to the company’s 14,000 US restaurants and beyond.
- Third-party partnerships: Uber Eats is revolutionizing the delivery space, and McDonald’s is adding it as a partner to be in the platform customers are used to visiting. Currently, it accounts for 2-3% of the brand’s business and is available in 9,000 restaurants. This is not necessarily new though, as McDonald’s has been delivering in Asia for decades. At this point, it’s time for the company to start creating partnerships with the likes of grubhub, seamless, and other delivery platforms to put itself in front of the most US customers.
- McDonald’s App and mobile ordering : The business has been able to use digital innovation as a driver for growth, producing 5.4% increase in global comparable sales for the first quarter of 2019, with MyMcDonald’s App and McDelivery accounting for almost one in ten of sales in the first quarter.
Whether these investments pay off in the long term as it adjusts to a changing landscape remains to be seen. However, it does seem that McDonald’s is taking steps in the right direction. In addition to all the initiatives mentioned above, it has tried to create a healthier product mix, focusing on organic products, salads, and breakfast food to capture more share. We’ll eventually see how this plays out, but as with most parts during its long history, McDonald’s needs to innovate in order to survive. Let’s see if the big mac bet on big data works out!
Student comments on Big Mac to Big Data: Why Mcdonald’s is betting its future on digital innovation
Brilliant post by Rocco. I wonder if on top of bottom line growth digital initiatives, McDonnalds could also leverage digital solutions to streamline operations globally. With a fairly complex supply chain and a global network of franchises operating on the ground, there seems to be a opportunity to roll out big data to improve logistics and processes. More than just an augmented ERP, I am thinking of maybe a digital platform we’re franchises can manage purchases an inventory from global and local suppliers. (Hopefully they are already doing that!)
Great post on an interesting market. I agree with Short Apple’s comment below that logistics seem like fertile ground for big data when it comes to a company on this scale. You mentioned the drive to create a healthier product offering; perhaps this push could be boosted by better big-data-driven logistics, in an effort to source more local ingredients, for example. I think fast food will always be somewhat decadent (because we love it that way), but that doesn’t mean it must be of poor quality or frozen. My first job at age 14 was at Chick-fil-a and I can attest that they never freeze any of their product, rather dredging, battering and frying all of the chicken on- site. I believe McDonald’s has recently made a similar initiative to no longer freeze their beef. Perhaps the next step is seeking local sources when possible. Finally, the big-data-driven menus sound fascinating. Can’t wait to hear how that develops.
Hi Rocco, thanks for sharing the latest go-digital movement of McDonald’s! The company’s APP and mobile order particularly resonated with me, as whenever I visited McDonald’s stores in China, there would always be a lot of people waiting in line to order food. Having the self-help kiosk and the mobile ordering service is super helpful to speed up and simplify the ordering process. And I’m sure McDonald’s will roll out the mobile-based digital innovations to more geographies as people everywhere in the world are becoming increasingly reliant on and accustomed to using their mobile phones.
In addition to the idea of having digital innovations help streamline and optimize the logistics & supply chain management of McDonald’s, I also think there exists tremendous opportunities for the company to leverage the power of digital technologies to better track customer feedbacks and further improve customer satisfaction rates. For instance, a digital-empowered McDonald’s will be able to better understand customers’ reaction to new product releases by age, gender and geography. With such data on hand, McDonald’s will be able to adjust its menu accordingly to better cater to the tastes of its customers.
Thanks for this post! It makes sense to me that McDonald’s is embracing more digital technology. The use of self-service kiosks for ordering, in particular, feels like a natural fit. I’m intrigued to learn that McDonald’s will be using big data to engineer the menu, too. I have no doubt that advanced analytics of this kind can help generate additional efficiencies in the restaurants and drive up sales. I wonder if McDonald’s will face any controversy for this usage of big data? How would consumers feel if they knew that customized menus and promotions drive up the average order size, for example? Particularly when McDonald’s is fighting to demonstrate a commitment to healthier eating. Or maybe customers won’t care and will find value in the personalized experience. Will be interesting to see!


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The following is the Q4 financial technology investment report in 2020 From GP Bullhound recommended by recordtrend.com. And this article belongs to the classification: original, Investment & Economy, research report, financial technology.
Is cryptocurrency on the cusp of mainstream adoption?
▪ Bitcoin’s price rose more than 255% in 2020 and closed at $29001 by the end of the year.
▪ In October, square bought $50 million of bitcoin.
▪ This quarter, PayPal launched a new service that enables customers to buy, hold and sell cryptocurrency directly from PayPal accounts, thus distinguishing themselves from existing digital wallets.
▪ Chainanalysis, led by addition, raised $100 million in November, and digital asset financial services company nydig, led by financial technology group, raised $50 million.
Bank as a service: is the game of traditional banks over?
▪ The bank as a service (baas) Company splits the underlying banking business of the bank, selects all levels of the bank stack to provide different services, and enables non-financial digital brands to launch new financial service products faster and cheaper, such as payment, loan and bank account.
2020 marks a major change in the pattern of insurance technology financing
▪ Insurance technology companies bring innovation to the entire insurance value chain, which puts pressure on digital insurance companies, because these digital first start-ups continue to subvert the insurance market or use proprietary technology capabilities to improve business efficiency.
▪ 2020 is a record year. Lemonade launched an IPO in the second quarter, with a present value of US $6.9 billion, an increase of 322% since the IPO, which is an important milestone in the industry. This has built a road for other insurance technology companies to follow, including a number of early stage financing in the later stage, including $350 million raised by hippo, $140 million raised by Oscar and $250 million raised by next insurance.
▪ A series of activities occurred in this quarter. October was listed in October with a valuation of US $6.7 billion. Getsafe B raised US $30 million, Luko B raised US $60 million and wefox C raised US $130 million.
If you want to get the full report, you can contact us by leaving us the comment. If you think the information here might be helpful to others, please actively share it. If you want others to see your attitude towards this report, please actively comment and discuss it. Please stay tuned to us, we will keep updating as much as possible to record future development trends.
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Gaming journalists consider boycotting E3
E3 is surely the biggest event on the video gaming calendar, and while some of you may think it's all fun and games, know that for most of us journalists it's three days of hell: running around a convention hall with a backpack full of gear, smiling politely as developers tell you they're really going to re-invent the free-to-play MMO, then getting drunk on Microsoft's dollar before breaking a Kinect and getting thown into the street by a huge Samoan bouncer named Craig.
Ok, it's pretty fun.
Anyhow, being that E3 is where almost everything cool gets announced and demoed, every respectable game publication in existence will be there to cover it. All except for those who are willing to commit digital suicide by boycotting E3, much like those monks who burned themselves alive to protest Vietnam (it's pretty hard to find that kind of dedication these days).
Why would these outlets choose to boycott E3? Namely due to the ongoing SOPA crisis, with the notorious internet-killing bill still being debated despite the overwhelming lack of support from the American public. Though many game developers and publishers have tried to distance themselves from the bill, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) remains one of its biggest sponsors, and the dozens of companies aligned with the ESA count themselves guilty by association.
Many sites today participated in an internet-wide blackout to show the possible effects of the bill, though sites like ScrewAttack want to take the fight one step further, trying to convince industry journalists to deny gaming companies the coverage they so desire. It's a radical step, and one which will be a hard sell to the many for-profit publications out there.
That being said, if the community demanded it, I'm sure many a gaming site would choose to appease their fans as oppossed to the industry. So the question really comes down to readers like yourself. Are you more interested in a free internet? Or knowing what new video games are going to be coming out?


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LOCAL 12 - Search Results
Jimmy Carter to visit Norwood store
CINCINNATI (WKRC) -- A very special guest is visiting the Tri-State on Tuesday, promoting his brand new book.
Former President Jimmy Carter will be at the Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Norwood signing autographs.
The workers at the book store are very excited to host the former president. It's a big boost for them in terms of getting people in the doors.
Carter, the 39th President of the United States holding office from 1977 to 1981, will bring his soft spoken Georgia drawl here.
He won't be speaking to the crowd Or reading from his book. But he will be signing copies of it. The book is titled "A Call to Action" and it focuses on human rights-- particularly for women..
The visit certainly comes with extra steps in terms of security. However, for the store, the steps are well worth it to bring in a guest of this magnitude.
Follow us on Twitter @Local12 and LIKE us on Facebook for updates.


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Superinvestor Ken Fisher has outperformed the stock market for 15 years. Each quarter, money managers like Fisher must disclose their stock moves, giving us a peek into their maneuvers. Many investors use this information to gain insight as to what stocks the pros are buying and selling.
Let's take a closer look at five stocks Fisher gave the heave-ho this past quarter.
Japanese industrial manufacturer Komatsu recently picked up market share in China by outcompeting rival Caterpillar on price. But Fisher probably dumped Komatsu stock based partly on the company's shrinking profits resulting from falling demand in Asian nations such as China and Indonesia .
Shares of Men's Wearhouse surged in March after the retailer announced it'd sell its K&G unit, which sells men's suits and accessories. The company plans to focus on mobile, with apps enabling customers to order online tailoring and customize tux rentals. The company is also expanding its big-and-tall offerings, a growing (no pun intended) and underserved market. Roughly half of the company's online sales are attributed to big and tall. But Fisher still thought stock came up short and sold his entire position last quarter.
Texas-based industrial company McDermott International provides construction services to the offshore oil and gas industry. Shares of McDermott plunged in early March, when the company missed analysts' earnings estimates. Project delays and higher costs continue to hamper profitability. Fisher probably sold because of McDermott's weak outlook for 2013.
Fisher completely sold his position in mining company Cliffs Natural Resources . The stock has a high short ratio of nearly 25%, signaling that the market is betting Cliffs will post lackluster results. Given its subpar financial performance in recent quarters, this isn't startling. And since the company cut its dividend, the stock has become much less desirable for income investors.
The hedge fund manager also dumped his stake in tech company Teradata . In the first quarter of 2013, Teradata announced earnings per share slid 32%, attributed to lower revenue growth and higher investment costs. But Teradata is gaining new customers and expanding its contracts with existing ones, namely Kohl's and Groupon.
I don't own any of the stocks mentioned above that Fisher sold. While I agree with his decision to sell Komatsu, McDermott, and Cliffs, I'm not so sure about Men's Wearhouse and Teradata. As a patient, long-term investor, I think these companies still hold potential in their respective specialty retail and analytic data services markets.
The Motley Fool's chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for the next year. Find out which stock it is in the brand-new free report: "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2013." Just click here to access the report and find out the name of this under-the-radar company.
The article 5 Stocks Billionaire Ken Fisher Dumped originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Nicole Seghetti owns shares of Caterpillar. Follow her on Twitter: @NicoleSeghetti. The Motley Fool recommends Teradata. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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The buzz about pollination drones is more important than ever, and companies like Walmart want in on the action.
When several types of bees and bumblebees made the endangered-species list thanks to declining bee populations it’s easy to see why companies are looking towards robotics as a possible solution.
More than 75 percent of the world’s food crops rely at least in part on pollination by insects and other animals.
Between $235 billion and $577 billion worth of annual global food production relies on direct contributions by pollinators, according to a 2016 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
The European Union went so far as to recently ban all outdoor use of pesticides containing harmful neonicotinoids to protect bee populations overseas.
Now Walmart wants to get in on the act of giving bees a helping hand while investing in advanced robotics.
Walmart filed a patent in March for autonomous robot bees that can pollinate like their real insect counterparts. Tiny cameras on the robots — also called pollination drones — not only detect and spot the locations of the crops that need pollinating, but the sensitive sensors on the drones will assure that successful pollination occurs.
Five other patents were also filed that same month by Walmart for additional farming drones, including one drone that monitors the ongoing health of various crops and another that can hunt down plant pests, hopefully erasing the need for use of harmful pesticides that endanger bees in the first place.
Walmart is no stranger to utilizing advanced robots. This year, the large chain starting using using sophisticated scanner robots built by Bossa Nova Robotics to monitor store inventory.
Walmart may be one of the largest companies to currently invest in robotic bees like those in the patent, however researchers are hoping to offer more kinds of pollination drones for additional companies to fund.
Back in 2013, Harvard University researchers introduced autonomous flying microrobots called RoboBees that were the size of a penny and used two wafer-thin wings that flapped 120 times per second to fly.
More recently in 2017, a student studying at Georgia’s Savannah College of Art and Design created Plan Bee — a pollination drone that could be controlled by a smart device.
Hopefully more companies will follow suit in robotic bee investing, until then Walmart may be the front runner in looking towards the future when it comes to replacing dwindling bee populations with advanced technology instead of relying on environmental friendly legislation.


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Schiff Hardin stays at One Atlantic Center
- Douglas Sams, Staff Writer
Schiff Hardin LLP will keep its Atlanta office at Midtown's One Atlantic Center.
The deal is a renewal and expansion of its current lease.
Schiff Hardin signed a 23,222-square-foot lease in January 2006, taking the entire 23rd floor. The new lease adds 11,530 square feet on the 24th floor.
The firm opened its Atlanta office on July 1, 2003 with two attorneys. Since then, it has grown to 25.
Schiff Hardin has more than 350 attorneys across its U.S. offices. The leaders of its employee benefits and appellate practices nationwide reside in the Atlanta office.
“We are pleased to be able to keep our existing Atlanta home for our attorneys, firm and clients, while expanding the space to keep up with our continued growth,” Michael K. Wolensky, coordinating partner of Schiff Hardin’s Atlanta office, said in a press release. “We are committed to our work and expansion in the Atlanta market and are excited to have this lease solidified for the next twelve years.”
Midtown is the center of Atlanta's legal industry, and the 50-story One Atlantic Center is home to one of its largest firms, Alston & Bird LLP. The law firm decided last year to consolidate into the tower, a huge win for Midtown and building owner Hines.
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Recognize AI applications for a better future
WTO looks into smart AI applications to better serve in the near future
The 2018 WTO Public Forum looks at the future of trade from the perspective of future generations. The WTO has recognized the value of young people’s vision and reflections on 4th Industrial Revolution technologies that will shape the future of trade. In this spirit, the Geneva-based platform of the Global Shapers community took the opportunity of the 2018 WTO Public Forum to make the voice of young people heard on issues relating to the future of trade in the context of the fourth revolution. industrial. Industry 4.0 is quickly demonstrating that the whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts. And it is in ensuring that the “everything” fits together that the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has a key role to play.
The TBT Agreement covers regulatory interventions that may affect traded products. This will be the case for many standards and regulations related to Industry 4.0. The unprecedented speed and scale of today’s “revolution” is unfolding every day with new digital products being invented ready to meet needs we didn’t even know we had. These developments invariably expose a “dark side” of new technology; risks that we didn’t even know existed. You may have heard that ‘IoT toasters’ can be misused and turned into ‘weapons of mass destruction’
Cooperation on technical standards is also particularly important in the face of new regulatory challenges and risks, such as those related to “dual-use technologies” (i.e. for civil and defense purposes) or to the field of the AI. Technical standards for dual-use technologies, for example in radio, telecommunications and network security, or autonomous vehicles and aircraft, are notified by WTO members under the TBT Agreement .
The Global Shapers Hubs surveyed all agree that the technologies that will have the most impact on the future of commerce are artificial intelligence, blockchain and the Internet of Things. Then come 3D printing and augmented reality/virtual reality.
The WTO sees other applications of AI that should be considered in its capacity:
• Improved customer service: AI in its user-friendly format will enable faster and more accurate handling of consumer questions, improving customer satisfaction and forcing businesses to invest resources to ensure their products, services and support systems are identified and appreciated. by the end user.
• Improved delivery systems: The fusion between AI and autonomous vehicles (drones, trucks, cars, etc.) will enable faster deliveries to any part of the world, making it easier to buy goods and eventually leading to a “migration” of population to suburban and rural areas.
• Improved decision making: Certainly, one of the most important impacts of AI is to help humans make decisions. For public-private managers, this means being able to mine data with greater precision, opening up new business opportunities that may currently be impossible to assess.
• Remodeling work: Manual-intensive jobs in logistics, demand planning, manufacturing, customer service will be automated through the application of AI and other technologies.
• Considering the ethical side of technology: While the many ethical debates that technology will continue to raise have yet to be seriously addressed, AI may well force key stakeholders to include ethical discussions on the global agenda. It is believed that it can only be seen as building the future of commerce if it includes ethics in the debate.
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- ETH Blocks will allow MyEtherWallet users to mint NFTs based on important events in Ethereum history.
- Thirteen of the most significant events in Ethereum history have already been minted.
Decrypt’s Art, Fashion, and Entertainment Hub.
Do you have a favorite moment inhistory? Now you can buy it.
MyEtherWallet (MEW) announced today the launch of ETH Blocks, a new feature that will allow MEW users to mint NFTs directly in the app.
MyEtherWallet says users will be able to mint blocks of transactions from Ethereum that have historical or personal significance. But not so fast, collectors: MEW founder and CEO Kosala Hemachandra told Decrypt that 13 blocks of historical importance to Ethereum—including the whitepaper release in 2013, the first Ether sale in 2014, and the DAO fork in 2016—have already been minted and will be auctioned off for charity at an auction on December 11. The auction proceeds will go to nonprofits, including The Skid Row Trust, Wikipedia, Girls Who Code, and NPR.
— MyEtherWallet | MEW (@myetherwallet) November 9, 2021
"We wanted to provide users the ability to recognize major milestones associated with Ethereum," Hemachandra said in a press release. "Instead of owning ETH or an Ethereum-based asset, they may now obtain an immutable and gorgeous record of ownership of the entire Ethereum block."
MyEtherWallet says the first 100 ETH Blocks will be minted at the cost of 0.01 ETH ($46.26) each for the launch. The next 500 will increase in price to 0.03 ETH, and all following ETH Blocks will be minted at 0.05 ETH for each.
MEW launched in 2015, not long after the Ethereum network went live. As of February 2021, it claimed 1.3 million monthly users, according to data from the Blockchain Council's research site. That number has grown in the past ten months to over 2 million, according to Hemachandra.
Until now, the only way MyEtherWallet users could mint NFTs was by connecting the wallet to a marketplace like Rarible. This first NFT drop will include only Ethereum Blocks. But MEW plans to add other projects later, essentially allowing the wallet to become its own NFT ecosystem.
"MEW was founded on the principle of empowering users to easily access Ethereum and everything that it offers," Hemachandra said. "It is a perfect fit for us to embrace NFTs and enable users of all skill levels to get involved. Our users are already accessing their wallets every day with MEW and it makes sense to bring NFTs to where crypto fans already are."
When asked if MyEtherWallet can scale quickly enough to meet the increased demand, Hemachandra told Decrypt he is confident the team can handle anything the launch throws their way.
"MEW has been around for almost as long as Ethereum through all its leaps, bounds, and innovations," he said. "We've been through the ICO craze and yield farming hype, and have taken everything in stride."


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A bunch of Microsoft documents that were supposed to be redacted were recently accidentally published online in unredacted form, leaking details on everything from Microsoft’s plans for a cloud-infused next-gen console, a new Xbox controller with haptic feedback, an Xbox Series X mid-gen refresh, and more. As part of that same leak, updated sales numbers for a number of Bethesda titles have also emerged (via ResetEra).
Most notable among them is Fallout 4. Since Bethesda announced all the way back in 2015 that the RPG had shipped 12 million copies worldwide on the day of its release, there have been no further updates on its sales, however, as per Microsoft’s newly-leaked documents, Fallout 4 had shipped roughly 25 million units as of 2020 (which means that number’s likely much higher at this point in time).
Interestingly, the document also mentions that in 2020, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim had shipped roughly 40 million units. Earlier this year, director Todd Howard revealed that Skyrim had sold over 60 million units worldwide, which means the fantasy RPG sold an additional 20 million units in the space of about three years.
In the document, Microsoft also mentions that it’s expecting Fallout 5 to also ship about 25 million units, similar to its predecessor. It’s been previously confirmed that Fallout 5 will be the next game Bethesda Game Studios focuses on after The Elder Scrolls 6, though given the fact that the latter only recently entered early development and is still over five years away from launch, it’s safe to say that it’ll be a long, long time before the next mainline Fallout game releases.
As part of this giant leak, details have also emerged on a number of unannounced upcoming titles in the works acrossRead more on gamingbolt.com


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Strathmore Business School’s Institute of Healthcare Management has introduced various healthcare programs owing to the need to tap the dynamic complexity of healthcare in the region with advances in technological innovations, new treatments, new laws & regulations, and new types of healthcare service delivery models. The programs are targeting a vast range of healthcare professionals to fill the existing capacity gaps existing in leadership and management.
Strathmore Business School’s OMP Alumnus and founder of Interconsumer Products, Paul Kinuthia has made headway in the business fraternity by selling the health and beauty division of Interconsumer Products, one of Kenya’s largest manufacturers of beauty products to L’Oreal, the world’s leading cosmetic company.
The transaction was which was closed on Friday April 12th has elevated Mr Kinuthia to the billionaires club as the transaction is worth billions of shillings.
Strathmore Business School (SBS) signed an MoU with the Ministry of Regional Development Authorities (MoRDA) on Monday 8th April 2013 at the MoRDA offices. The MoU aims at promoting managerial skills to enable effective leadership of Regional Development Authorities (RDAs) in meeting the government objectives of integrated development. It will boost and enhance development and industrialization through research, training, innovation technological development and commercialisation and marketing.


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- Weekly update
- 5 minute read
A good week for
- US equities rallied +1.5% in sterling terms
- Emerging market equities crept +0.4% higher in sterling terms
A bad week for
- Equities weakened across the UK, Europe and Japan in sterling terms
- Bonds weakened in local currency terms, with UK gilts leading the way down (-2.5%)
UK bond prices suffered last week as a stronger-than-expected inflation report stoked expectations of more monetary tightening. April consumer price inflation came in at 8.7%, a sharp drop from the 10.1% annual rise in March, but ahead of expectations of a decline to 8.2%. As expected, the sharp drop in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) was mainly due to energy. In April 2022, the Ofgem price cap was increased by 54%, pushing up inflation, and in April 2023 this rise exited the annual inflation calculation. Other components of the CPI were stronger than expected, including food inflation which remains at 19%. Services inflation actually accelerated to 6.9% from 6.6%, ahead of the Bank of England’s own forecast, driven by telecoms, social rents and insurance premiums. Inflation is still expected to fall sharply this year, with more anniversary effects bringing down headline inflation toward 4% by the end of the year, but the strength of core inflation is a concern for the Bank of England. This increases the likelihood of further monetary tightening, a view shared by the market. Futures prices now indicate interest rates peaking at 5.5% in December 2023, compared to a peak of 5% in September, as was expected at the end of April.
Looking ahead, energy prices are expected to continue to have a cooling effect on UK inflation. The UK’s energy regulator, Ofgem, announced that the June retail price cap will be £2,074. This will see the cap fall below the level of the Government’s Energy Price Guarantee Scheme (EPG), and will see annual utility price inflation fall to 5% from 27% in April and 96% in January. The price cap is expected to continue to fall throughout 2023, bringing headline inflation lower.
US fiscal policy
US lawmakers have reached an agreement on a proposal to raise the cap on US government borrowing, known as the debt ceiling. The US government is expected to reach the current legal limit on its government borrowing in June, with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen giving 1 June as a “hard deadline” for extension. Democrat and Republican leaders have successfully negotiated the conditions to extend the debt limit beyond the next presidential election. This includes flat non-defence government spending for two years, followed by a 1% rise in 2025. Unspent funds made available under Covid-19 relief measures will be clawed back in the agreement, and nutritional assistance programmes will also be made moderately less generous. President Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy must now persuade congress members to vote for the proposal. Should they be unsuccessful, the Treasury could buy time by implementing a partial shutdown of some government services, in order to continue to make interest payments on US debt. While brinkmanship is likely to cause market volatility, we expect a resolution, though a cut to fiscal spending is likely.
US monetary policy
Minutes of the May Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting revealed division and uncertainty, stating that “participants generally express uncertainty about how much more policy tightening may be appropriate.” In addition, “some” participants indicated that an “unacceptably slow” cooling of inflation necessitated further rate hikes. At the same time, “several” participants noted that weaker growth expectations meant “further policy firming after this meeting may not be necessary.” The committee was able to agree that bank stress “contributed to some tightening in lending standards … especially among small and mid-sized banks.” The evolution of credit conditions, and the toll it takes on growth will likely determine if the Federal Reserve decides to tighten further. Business surveys indicate a material deterioration in credit conditions, dating back to the start of the year.
May’s business surveys continue to indicate a mixed picture for the global economy. Services indices are still in expansionary territory, while manufacturing surveys remain weaker, and are signalling contraction. This likely reflects generally weaker global activity in 2023. The unwinding of global supply chain difficulties may also be having an impact, resulting in companies de-stocking and weaker goods demand.
The information contained in this article is believed to be correct but cannot be guaranteed. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. The value of investments and the income from them may fall as well as rise and is not guaranteed. An investor may not get back the original amount invested. Opinions constitute our judgment as at the date shown and are subject to change without notice. This article is not intended as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell securities, nor does it constitute a personal recommendation. Where links to third party websites are provided, Close Brothers Asset Management accepts no responsibility for the content of such websites nor the services, products or items offered through such websites.


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Mayank Shah, MSDUK, explores how supplier diversity could become a priority in the far-flung post-pandemic realm
The disruption of the pandemic has created a new and often unfamiliar landscape for businesses. For many companies, supplier diversity has been on the back burner throughout the global pandemic.
But for, other companies realized they needed to turn to local suppliers to maintain continued supplies, especially when the pandemic disrupted overseas supply chains.
During these test periods, many companies have managed to continue to deliver. Large companies spend millions of pounds with their suppliers every year, but changing their supply chains to include more diverse suppliers is beneficial for both the company and the supplier.
Additionally, by sourcing products and services from minority-owned small businesses, these diverse and smaller businesses are also contributing to the recovery of the economy in the UK and around the world.
The importance of strong supply chains
By looking at local and minority suppliers, some companies have created strong supply chains despite the disruption of the pandemic. Improve their partnerships and collaboration, successfully deliver a diverse supply chain and achieve the best results for all stakeholders. Additionally, when properly instilled, diversity in sourcing creates social value to build and embed resilience in our local and wider community.
A brilliant case study of how a diverse supply chain helped global name Sony Pictures UK was in the midst of producing its summer blockbusters at Pinewood Studios and locations across the UK when the pandemic hit. hit in early 2020. As a member of MSDUK, they contacted us to recommend various suppliers who could supply certified PPE products. They were looking for a diverse supplier to supply certified PPE products that could offer a flexible and agile approach to delivery and service all regions of the UK.
For Sony, Brocks Compass have lived up to their high standards for their PPE products and on many occasions the team have gone the extra mile to accommodate last minute requests at various filming locations across the UK. Additionally, Brocks Compass has expanded its business to provide promotional items and ergonomic equipment. Sony Pictures demonstrated its ability to be agile and underlined its commitment to supplier diversity by integrating Brocks Compass into its procurement systems to work more efficiently.
Andrew Edgeley, Director of Sony Pictures Strategic Sourcing at Sony Pictures, said, “Sony wants to send a message that small, diverse businesses can add value to the bottom line. Not only did they deliver, they were competitive, providing the flexibility we need to keep our latest productions from Cinderella to Venom 2 and many other films safely on track. Dee Patel from Brocks Compass has been quite phenomenal as he doesn’t let me down and always goes the extra mile.
We’re also noticing that increasingly it’s something new hires are looking for, a motivated generation with higher expectations.
Gen Z is woke enough to want real evidence of change
For many companies, as a general rule, include social responsibility, equality and justice on their websites and in their mission statements. However, the next generation of employees is more Wake up and want more than a statement on a website; they want proof.
The last two years of the pandemic have forced a change in needs; it is no longer enough to have a statement on the website. When graduates apply to us now, they ask us what they are doing about climate change, local communities, etc.
Additionally, employees are looking for organizations to have a more ethical approach, especially in the pandemic where we have seen frontline workers living in poverty and the Black Lives Matter movement. These are hugely influential messages that have seen young people demand change and see companies take a more ethical approach.
Five steps to a more diverse supply chain
The first step is always the hardest, and it can often be difficult to know where to start as a business. So I thought I’d share five steps towards a more diverse supply chain.
Step 1: Look internally and make a solid business case. Share the “whys” and “whats” that supplier diversity brings to the business
2nd step: Engage the leadership team and ensure genuine leadership engagement and commitment, as well as training
Step 3: Training is the key. Invest heavily in training people on your supplier sourcing team
Step 4: Responsibility. What gets measured gets done. Empower supplier diversity and set goals.
Step 5: Join an organization like MSDUK to learn from your peers and from the success of other organizations with effective supplier diversity programs.
It takes two to tackle supply chain diversity
Diversity in supply chains cannot be addressed by companies alone. As the saying goes, it takes two to tango, and we also need ethnic minority small businesses to be open to change. To intervene and engage with the companies they wish to work with. Without EMBs, companies can create a diverse supply chain.
Corporations, businesses, community and government agencies are all stakeholders in creating a diverse supply chain. Everyone has a role to play in making supplier diversity viable. Their relationships increase the chances of success of such programs.
Incorporating supplier diversity goals is a great way to demonstrate your organization’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Supporting small businesses and minority-owned businesses, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, or any other potentially discriminatory factor, benefits everyone.
Furthermore, integrating this support into an inclusive business development continuum contributes to economic growth and will be crucial to our recovery from the pandemic in the UK and abroad.


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The 2022 Acura Integra is an very important car for the Eastern top rate automaker. Greater than about reviving an iconic nameplate related to nifty dealing with and high-revving four-cylinder VTEC engines, the incoming Integra will cement Acura’s recognition within the sport-luxury class. If you happen to haven’t spotted, Acura’s resurgence is underway, and it began with the TLX Kind S, a sport-luxury sedan with four-wheel double wishbones and a three.0-liter turbocharged V6 pumping out 355 horsepower – excited about below $55k.
Thankfully for us, Acura is debuting the 2022 Acura Integra prototype on November 11, 2021, at 4:35 p.m. PT. Sure, the car you’ll see in a couple of days is a prototype type, and it’ll be on show for everybody to peer on the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Display from November 19 to twenty-eight, 2021.


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How and Why Do Automakers Cut Corners on Emissions?
Federal loopholes, error, and sometimes unlawful programing or testing could allow automakers to skew fuel economy and emissions numbers.
Not every new car has been put through a gauntlet of government-administered emissions testing. Verifying every vehicles’ compliance with all safety, health, environmental, and trade laws would be too time consuming and costly for any federal or state agency, so the onus falls to the car’s manufacturer. For fuel economy and emissions ratings—which have a big impact on both your wallet and air quality—the U.S. government audits just one out of five car models each year.
With more than 300 models on sale, that means you’ll have to trust that automakers will tell you the truth.
It's Not All Bad
The Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal cracked the lid open on cheating automakers. VW admitted to installing software that could detect when its cars were being run on the testing cycle required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). VW’s diesel engines operated cleaner in the lab and earned stellar results on paper, but in the real world, they polluted many times over legal limits.
Volkswagen paid billions to settle civil and criminal charges, including damages to customers (monetary compensation and buybacks), fines paid in various countries and including paying to build a national charging network in the U.S. Additionally, several VW executives have been charged and two have pled guilty and been imprisoned.
Like any agency, the EPA runs short on staffing and funds to properly do its job. It admits to only auditing between 15-20% of all new cars in a given year. Automakers know that if caught cheating, they face the wrath of government and class-action lawsuits which have the potential to sink their balance sheets.
The Process Allows Loopholes–But Automakers Take Them at Their Peril
There are workarounds permitted by the EPA that let automakers duplicate one model’s fuel economy numbers even if they are not identical. The EPA allows a high volume model within the weight class with the same engine and transmission to be used to determine fuel mileage of lesser-volume models.
Ford took flak in 2013 when its C-Max wasn’t returning real-world fuel economy anywhere near its 47 mpg combined estimate. When probed, Ford admitted it used the same numbers from the car it did test, the Fusion Hybrid, because EPA rules allow an automaker to do so when the two vehicles use the same powertrain and share the same weight class. But Ford made an obvious mistake to rate a higher-riding hatchback with the same figures as its lower, sleeker sedan. The result: Ford had to recertify the C-Max from 47 mpg combined to just 43 mpg combined. Ford settled the lawsuit brought by 40 states on behalf of consumers against the automaker for false advertising. The $19.2 million settlement is meant to compensate owners for the extra fuel costs.
Hyundai and Kia simply didn’t test their cars properly. After touting 40mpg on many of its best-selling models starting in 2011, the companies were caught in a class-action lawsuit and a subsequent investigation by the EPA, after owners claimed they couldn’t come near the EPA estimates. By 2015, the companies settled for $210 million, compensated current and former owners for their added expenses, and had to revise estimates on 27 models. It was embarrassing but were it not for a lawsuit, Hyundai and Kia might have gotten away with such a major error.
The EPA requires automakers to rate fuel economy and emissions on the model's trim with the highest sales volume. When the Chevrolet Corvette entered the 2022 model year, it lost 3mpg on the highway estimate—a not insignificant 11% drop–compared to 2021.
Because the Z51 was the most ordered in 2021, Chevrolet provided the Z51 for EPA testing. However, the Z51 performance package comes with a unique rear axle. The engine spins faster in top gear because the rear axle has a shorter drive ratio for better acceleration, so it consumes more fuel. Chevrolet noted surprise at how many Corvette buyers stepped up to the Z51 package, which costs around $6,350 on its own.
Your Mileage (And Driving Experience) Will Vary
What works in a lab doesn’t always translate to the real world. For example, transmissions are usually programmed to upshift early, a technique that lowers engine revs and saves fuel on a test, when in normal driving it can inhibit performance. Auto stop-start systems gain points in the lab but can actually consume just as much fuel on the road due to constant use in traffic. All of a vehicle’s hardware and its software tuning can be tailored to ace tests. The best automakers know how to program their vehicles—legally—so they deliver the best blend of performance and efficiency.


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Owner Pete Luckett said it was a very tough decision to pull the plug as 50 full and part-time staff will be out of work.
“Behind the front of a fabulous business in Wolfville, we have struggled to make it a profitable venture,” he said Saturday.
The Wolfville store will close at the end of May. The firm will focus on operations at its Halifax and Bedford stores, which employ about 350 people.
An Annapolis Valley resident and winery operator, Luckett called the decision to close the store “heartbreaking.”
Pete’s became the major tenant in Wolfville’s Warehouse Mall in May of 2012.
The opening coincided with the 20th anniversary of the opening of the flagship store in Bedford.


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just the Round-Up - The week in drinks
The week in drinks
The top ten stories published on just-drinks this week:
Jose Cuervo has lined up a revamp of the packaging for two of its Tequila brands in the US.
Over half of food and drink industry executives do not measure the return on investment (ROI) they get from their use of social media, according to a just-drinks survey.
The new owners of G&J Greenall are planning to launch the first television ad campaign for the distiller's namesake gin brand and are on the lookout for acquisitions.
Bacardi's OakHeart spiced rum
William Grant & Sons has lined up a change of directorship on its board.
Diageo has launched a global multimedia campaign for its Captain Morgan spiced rum brand.
Beer sales in Brazil are struggling in 2011, but Anheuser-Busch InBev has said that it sees no cause for alarm in the country.
SABMiller is willing to slightly raise its bid for Foster's Group, but is waiting for price expectations to drop once the Australian brewer issues its full-year results, according to a report.
Heineken has highlighted the potential of Ethiopia's beer market after completing the acquisition of two breweries in the country.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has said it will not oppose Asahi Group's fresh bid to acquire P&N Beverages.
Diageo's Ciroc Peach...
- Comment - Diageo Steps Up Defence of Haig Club
- Focus - Diageo's H1 Results by Region, Brand
- just the Preview - Diageo Q2 & H1
- just the Facts - Top 20 US Beers by Value, Volume
- Comment - Spirits - Where Next for Scotch Whisky?
- Belvedere vodka tie-up over new James Bond film
- Diageo speaks out over supplier contract changes
- Brown-Forman appoints Jack Daniel's president
- Diageo inks UK distribution deals
- ASA rejects Haig Club ad complaints
- Global RTD/RTS insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Diageo plc (DGE) - Financial and Strategic SWOT Analysis Review
- Global vodka insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends research
- Edrington Group in Spirits (World)
- Global Consumer Trends and Key Consumer Targets in Alcoholic Beverages


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Survey highlights challenges facing produce industry
A survey from global produce marketplace ProducePay highlights concerns facing industry stakeholders, including pricing volatility.
The second annual survey of growers, packers, distributors, integrated suppliers and end buyers in the U.S. and Latin America also spotlights other challenges, including the cost of inputs and weather uncertainty, that demonstrate a need to improve predictability for a more efficient, resilient and sustainable supply chain, according to a news release from ProducePay.
With growers, producers and packers comprising a majority of survey respondents (55%), the data underscores how increasing volatility and unpredictability limit the fresh produce sector as a vital industry for sustainably feeding a growing global population.
Commodity pricing volatility
Commodity pricing volatility, a top concern revealed by last year’s survey results, affects the greatest proportion of respondents, with 52% rating it as “extremely significant” to impacting the state of their business, and another 31% rating it as “significant.”
A majority of growers (52%), and 30% of respondents overall, rated the stability of their current business climate less positive (5 or lower, on a scale of 1-10), compared to last year.
More than half of respondents rated the following concerns as “extremely significant” in affecting their business negatively: cost of inputs (55%), ability to grow and deliver quality produce (53%), commodity pricing volatility (52%), weather unpredictability (52%) and reaching fair pricing terms (50%).
These issues were rated worse this year compared to last year: weather unpredictability (54%), cost of inputs (53%), cost or access to labor (46%), commodity pricing volatility (44%) and cost or access to capital (40%).
Concerns about the future
More respondents expect all these challenges to get even worse in the next five years, compared to those who expect things to improve.
Sixty percent of respondents estimate that greater than 10% of their produce is wasted, degraded or damaged due to supply chain inefficiencies.
“The fresh produce industry is critical to feeding a growing world with sustainable and healthy food, and an economic engine for many rural communities across the globe,” Patrick McCullough, ProducePay CEO, said in the news release. “Given the importance of this industry, it’s essential that we support the entire vertical — from grower to retailer — by eliminating the volatility and unpredictability that limits economic growth and investments in sustainable practices, and that results in inefficient forms of waste throughout the supply chain.
“This requires developing tools and new ways of doing business that give growers and buyers greater control of their business by providing unprecedented access to each other, capital, trading, insights and greater supply chain visibility,” he said in the release.
Earlier this year, ProducePay collaborated with one of the world’s largest growers and distributors of table grapes, Four Star Fruit, to launch a direct-to-retail program that enables a stable supply of high-quality produce to consumers while driving financial sustainability and fostering investments in sustainable agricultural practices.
When Hurricane Hillary damaged nearly 25 million boxes of California table grapes, Four Star Fruit and ProducePay took proactive steps to secure table grape supplies from Peru and Chile to bridge the supply gap.
Since its founding, ProducePay has facilitated the trade of more than $4 billion worth of fresh produce across 64 commodities and 17 countries in North America, Central and South America and Europe, according to the release. In 2023, the company is expected to finance more than $1B in fresh produce transactions.


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Developer Rebellion are stepping up their game for the upcoming collection of their zombie-slaying series, which includes a new instalment, as Zombie Army Trilogy
closes in on its release for Xbox One. The team behind the upcoming title have detailed seven reasons why players should upgrade to Zombie Army Trilogy
with a list followed by a video showcasing the reasons in action.
1. Brand new third campaign: the series comes to an apocalyptic conclusion with five exclusive new missions for 1-4 players across bone-chilling new environments.
2. Two stunning remastered campaigns: feast your eyes on ten missions with updated animations, dynamic physics, and improved lighting, shadows and visual effects.
3. Terrifying new enemy types: face blood-splattered Chainsaw Elites, Panzer Zombies, Armoured Skeletons ... and more!
4. Four new player characters: choose to play as one of four fearless female sharpshooters with their own back story.
5. Tactical zombie dismemberment: now players can liberate zombies from their limbs to slow them down, or stomp on exposed craniums for an instant kill!
6. Challenging new Horde Mode: five dedicated maps with infinite waves of undead and impossibly tense 1-4 player action.
7. Unified online community: team up online and take on any mission, from any campaign in the series. Compare kills with new combos, scores and leaderboards.
Zombie Army Trilogy
is set for a digital release on Xbox One on March 6th. A retail version will be available in "some regions".


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Four What Van? 2011 awards for Ford commercial vehicles
9 December 2010
Judges at Britain's leading van magazine, What Van? have recognised Ford's range of commercial vehicles as winners and leaders in their 2011 awards. Top prize for small vans and minibuses went to the Ford Fiesta Van and Ford Transit respectively. Also crowned was the Transit All-Wheel-Drive and Ford's One-Stop-Shop conversion programme came highly commended for the second year running.
Top Euro NCAP rating for new Ford C-MAX models
November 24, 2010
The all-new Ford C-MAX and Grand C-MAX models have been awarded the maximum 5 star safety ratings by the independent Euro NCAP organisation.
Transit Connect is eighth wonder of Acfo Awards
17 November, 2010
The Ford Transit Connect has extended its reign as Small Van of the Year in the Association of Car Fleet Operators (ACFO) awards, winning the title for a record-breaking eighth year in succession.
Ford is the choice of the emergency services
02 November 2010
The entire Ford range - from the Ford Fiesta to the Ford Transit - has been awarded preferred status in the newly announced framework for vehicle procurement from the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) and the National Association of Police Fleet Managers (NAPFM).
Ford's double award triumph
10 August, 2010
Britain's favourite car, the Ford Fiesta, has been declared best supermini by Business Car Manager, while the new Ford S-MAX has claimed the best people carrier award.
Ford S-MAX hat-trick at Auto Express new car awards
4 August 2010
The Ford S-MAX was declared Britain's best MPV for the third successive year at last night's Auto Express New Car Awards.
Ford Focus named best green used car by What Car?
15 July 2010
The Ford Focus has been declared the top green used car in this year's What Car? Green Awards.
Ford S-MAX and Galaxy star at BusinessCar awards
10 June, 2010
The luxurious Ford Galaxy claims the BusinessCar overall MPV award for the fourth year running, while Ford's sporty S-MAX has been awarded the Mini-MPV award.
Ian Forrest is 2010 Jim Clark award winner
1 June 2010
The Association of Scottish Motoring Writers has awarded Ian Forrest, chief instructor at Knockhill and former racing driver, the prestigious Jim Clark Memorial Award for 2010.
Four prizes for Ford in Fleet World Honours
18 May 2010
Ford has won four top awards in the 2010 Fleet World Honours, including the Best Fleet Car prize for the Ford Focus and Best MPV title for the Ford S-MAX. The Ford Transit Connect was named Fleet World’s Best Small Van, and Ford also collected the Innovation Award for its ECOnetic CV range
Fords win double CAP awards
14 May 2010
The Ford Focus has claimed overall 'Used Car of the Decade' and Ford Ka has been voted 'Small Car of the Decade' by CAP – the UK’s independent used car pricing experts.
Ford Transit base for best auto-trail motorhome
Award judges at Practical Motorhome magazine have praised the new Tribute T620 motorhome, built by Auto-Trail, which is based on the latest Ford Transit motorhome chassis. The vehicle has been judged both the best budget-buy motorhome and the overall motorhome of the year for 2010
Ford wins Thatcham Green Van Award for security
16 June, 2010
Ford's Fiesta Sport Van is the first winner of Thatcham's new "Green Van" award. With consumers expecting both high security standards and low carbon emissions from their new van, commercial vehicle market leader Ford is a recognised winner in this area.


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Nicki Boyd, co-founder of Versame, which is creating the first wearable education device for children, shares hardware startup advice.
Versame is creating the world’s first wearable education device for children. Learn about the founders’ inspiration plus challenges they’ve overcome along the way.
With two successful crowdfunding campaigns under its belt, this Scandinavian company is aiming to disrupt Starbucks with clever cafe carts on wheels.
Marcus Gosling of Highway1, a hardware startup accelerator in Silicon Valley, explains what it takes to turn a good prototype into a great product.


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rachel khoo cookbook
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|Look up rachel khoo cookbook in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.|
- rachel khoo cookbook The new architecture also means the pages on the content rich site now load in milliseconds, ensuring that potential customers visiting the site are engaged for long enough to register their interest. Commenting on the recent renovations, Ms Stephens said: “I am absolutely delighted with the work that has been carried out and Dortech’s customer service and professional installation has been second to none. British Glass is calling for seminar presentations, based on practical examples of large manufacturing businesses securing funding for improvement in energy efficiency and carbon reduction, for a one-day glass industry event in November 2017. The black-tie awards ceremony was held on 15 June at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, at the centre of the country’s great east-west glass manufacturing corridor – where nine out of ten of the UK’s largest glass manufacturers have production sites. Owing to the property’s location in heart of the Yorkshire Dales, it was also vital that the new windows and patio doors offered superior thermal efficiency and acoustic performance as well as ease of operation and an attractive appearance. “Historically, reducing emissions has simply meant financial penalties for industry – which creates conflict between government and business. But British Glass firmly believed that sectors which took advantage of this opportunity to influence government strategy stood to reduce costs, develop resilience on energy pricing and gain a competitive edge over businesses that didn’t become green economy leaders.
|This farmers almanac cookbook page lists articles associated with the title Seo.
If an big green egg cookbook pdf led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.


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HUNDREDS more jobs are to go at a Wirral biscuit factory after a union plan to save them was rejected.
Workers at Burton’s Foods in Moreton will be told today that the firm is to press ahead with plans to axe packing work at the plant with the loss of 219 jobs.
But it has agreed to retain a chocolate refinery on the site, keeping 60 jobs.
The company, which makes Jammie Dodgers, announced in January that it wanted to shut the plant with the loss of 342 jobs and began a 90-day consultation with staff.
Last month it agreed to consider Unite’s proposals to retain the chocolate refinery and seasonal assortment packing, which could have saved some jobs.
Burton’s had already announced it would press on with proposals to cease biscuit manufacture at Moreton – resulting in 109 jobs losses from October this year.
Unite regional officer, Ritchie James said: "We believe we got the best possible outcome for our members in terms of sustainable jobs and enhanced terms for those being made redundant.
"The retention of the chocolate refinery and some 60 jobs that would have otherwise have been lost will be kept on the Moreton site.
"However, it is disappointing and upsetting that we have not succeeded in saving the whole site and the 219 jobs that will be lost. This is just the latest in a series of disappointments for the workforce and devastating news for its community."
He said it was possible that 58 workers working on the production of seasonal assortment biscuits in Moreton could transfer to a new plant in Liverpool.
Wallasey MP Angela Eagle, who campaigned the save the factory, said: "The company was presented with a viable plan to protect most of the jobs. I’m angry that they’ve chosen to ignore it.
"While I welcome the decision to retain the chocolate refinery, which will leave around 45 jobs on site, it is heartbreaking that the 60 year tradition of biscuit making in Moreton will now come to an end.
"And a time when the area is already suffering with unacceptable levels unemployment, the loss of 300 jobs here is a further blow."


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Lemmy Izengo has dedicated a lot of her life to creating fashion designs inspired by her Tanzanian heritage.
Clothing is not only an expression of identity for her, it's also about keeping her culture alive.
"Clothing speaks to us, food, drums, storytelling, so all of that is a way of life and it goes together hand in hand," she said.
"So that's how I was brought up and I had that passion for fashion, I had that passion for bold and stand-out outfits ... that was just the way of life."
At the age of 23, she moved to Australia to find better opportunities.
"Those days [there weren't] many people like me.... I could jump in a bus and someone says 'Hey, can I touch your hair?' or 'Where are you from?'," the now 46-year-old said.
"At least nowadays I can see a lot of people who look like me which is wonderful, that sense of togetherness and having people who they celebrate, or they have the same background as you ... it makes a huge difference."
While she left her country and family behind, she didn't leave her rich culture.
For the last six years, Ms Izengo has turned her love for fashion into a business, which helps promote African design.
"For me, from the beginning, we started this for the kid who looks like me. We shouldn't be ashamed, or not celebrate who we are in every different aspect," she said.
She was one of 12 designers recently invited to showcase their creations at Kaleidoscope World of Fashion in Perth.
The newly launched event was created by a group of industry veterans to highlight the importance of diversity and increase representation in the sector.
"This is a huge opportunity for our communities, to have this platform and to celebrate," Ms Izengo said.
"It really encourages me to stand up tall, and to show the world that hey, we're just the same as you.
"I hope the young girls who are dreaming to be fashion designers or models, whatever aspects of [their dreams], they should realise they can work hard on their dream and their dream can come true."
Model Jeraldine Nshimilimana, who walked Ms Izengo's main design at the launch of the show at the WA Museum Boola Bardip on Sunday, said it was an honour to be a part of the ground-breaking event.
"We've got people from across the world, and the native people of Australia as well [which] you don't get that anywhere. It's almost unseen and unheard of, so it's great to have this platform," she said.
Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations


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Andrew Orr and Dave Hamilton join Jeff Gamet to discuss Apple’s released—and now pulled—iOS 12 developer beta 7, plus they look at how Google tracks you even when you think they aren’t.
Just a week after releasing iOS 12 developer beta 6, Apple rolled out iOS 12 developer beta 7 for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch on Monday.
Apple released tvOS 12 Developer Beta 6 on Monday for the fourth generation Apple TV and Apple TV 4K.
Along with iOS 12 developer beta 6, Apple released macOS Mojave developer beta 6 for the Mac on Monday.
Sticking with its usual two-week release schedule, Apple rolled out iOS 12 developer beta 6 for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch on Monday.
iOS 12 developer beta 5 confirms HomePod will get iPhone speaker phone support for making and answering calls this fall.
Apple released iOS 12 Developer Beta 4 on Tuesday for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Apple released a minor update for macOS Mojave 10.14 Developer Beta 3. The most obvious change is the build number, going from 18A32g to 18A32h.
Apple wrapped up its beta-palooza on Tuesday with macOS Mojave Developer Beta 3. Apple also released new developer betas of iOS 12, watchOS 5, and tvOS 12.
Apple released tvOS 12 Developer Beta 3 for the fourth generation Apple TV and Apple TV 4K on Tuesday.
Apple released iOS 12 Developer Beta 3 for iPhone and iPad on Tuesday, two weeks after Developer Beta 2 rolled out.
Apple released iOS 11.4.1 developer beta 4 and public beta 4 for iPhone and iPad on Monday, just a week after beta 3.
Apple rolled out the second beta for tvOS 12 for the fourth generation Apple TV and Apple TV 4K on Tuesday.
watchOS 5 developer beta 2 for Apple Watch is out and it includes the Walkie-Talkie voice chat feature first shown at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference in June.
Apple officially killed off its AirPort product line, yet AirPort Express is showing up as a streaming speaker option in AirPlay 2 in the iOS 12 developer beta.
At WWDC on Monday Apple announced and subsequently released macOS Mojave 10.14 developer beta. Unlike High Sierra, though, this update does not run on all the same Macs that the previous/current version does, with most 2011-and-earlier Macs being left behind.
Mum’s the word on features in the new release cycle, even while all eyes turn to next week’s World Wide Developer Conference.
So this is a surprise: Apple released iOS 11.4.1 Developer Beta just a day after the public release of iOS 11.4, and only five days ahead of 2018 Worldwide Developer Conference.
Apple released iOS 11.4 Developer Beta 5 on Monday. The update brings us another step closer to the official public release for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
The biggest feature for end-users is continued testing of Messages in iCloud.


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Samsung Electronics’ CEO moves up a rung
According to the tech bellwether, Choi will remain a vice chairman and also retain his seat on Samsung Electronics’ board of directors, while the outgoing head of the corporate strategy office, Kim Soon-taek, will leave Samsung. He has yet to decide his next career move.
“In his new position, Choi will concentrate his efforts on the promotion of future growth engines, while strengthening collaboration and synergy between Samsung affiliates,” said Samsung in a press release.
“With his past experience in the global market, Choi is expected to make strong contributions to long-term shareholders’ value.”
The reshuffle comes as Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee recently highlighted the importance of “innovative reform” to prop up the firm’s competitiveness. After returning from business trips to Europe and Japan last month, he expressed concern over Samsung’s long-term sustainability.
The 61-year-old Choi is “one of the most appropriate figures to cope with the changes in the global management environment amid rising tensions from the European financial crisis and ever-fierce corporate competition,” according to the release.
Having earned a bachelor’s degree in commerce and trade from Seoul National University, Choi joined Samsung C&T Corporation in 1977 and moved to Samsung Electronics in 1985. He became vice chairman in December 2010.
Jay Y. Lee, the only son of Chairman Lee, will remain COO and Yoon Ju-hwa will keep his post as the chief financial officer of Samsung Electronics.
By Seo Ji-eun [email@example.com]
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Tech firms brief president on state of AI research
Dongsuh recognizes female authors at Scent of Life Awards


text: If you’ve noticed glass jewelry popping up on your Instagram feed more and more over the past few months, you’re not alone. Glass candy-colored rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets began to replace beads and resin as accessory material of the day— and celebrities like Gigi and Bella Hadid, as well as Kylie Jenner are taking notice. Although glass jewelry has become a trend in its own right, with designers like Maryam Nassir Zadeh launching jewelry lines specializing in glass, artists like Colin Lynch have been working with the material for years. Lynch, who runs trinkets brand Keane (which has found fans in Jenner and the Hadids, all of whom have been photographed wearing her designs), studied under Italian glass masters at age 15. “I was an awkward kid,” Lynch says over the phone from his Brooklyn Navy Yard studio, noting that his parents took him to his first rave when he was nine. The glassblowers, who were introduced to Lynch through his businessman father, thought maybe they could tame his wild side with a little discipline and structure. After spending a summer in Italy with artisans, the designer became addicted. Her Keane pieces are heavily influenced by the kaleidoscopic, multi-coloured trinkets of the 1990s and the brightly colored, slightly goofy accessories associated with rave fashion. But the beauty of glass jewelry, Lynch adds, is its versatility. “Glass jewellery, in terms of popularity, has definitely gone up more and more,” he says. “The great thing about the material is that everyone looks at it a little differently.” Below, we’ve highlighted nine top jewelry brands making delicate and whimsical glass pieces that would make perfect additions to your spring and summer wardrobe.


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'Fallout 76' update adds contentious 'pay-to-win' item
An update arriving today lets players pay real money to repair in-game items.
Here's Bethesda's plan to keep 'Fallout 76' relevant in 2019
Bethesda is determined to revitalize its shared-world action RPG.
Bethesda will add a high-stakes PvP mode to 'Fallout 76'
It could spark some life into a game with a troubled history.
'Fallout 76' players found a secret developer room
Bethesda is now suspending anyone who enters.
'Fallout 76' bug disabled nukes on New Year's Day
Bethesda is working on fixing the bug.
Bethesda says sorry to 'Fallout 76' players with free games
Everyone who played in 2018 gets the 'Fallout Classic Collection.'
Bethesda’s ‘Fallout 76’ woes continue with sensitive player data leak
Addresses, credit card info and more were revealed.
'Fallout 76' Power Armor Edition buyers will get their canvas bags
A cheap nylon bag is not what gamers expected to see in the $200 CE box.
After Math: To all the turkeys I loved before
If you're just now rousing from your food coma, know that it's already Sunday and you have work tomorrow.


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Dentsu posts 17 per cent revenue drop
LONDON - Dentsu, the Japanese communication giant, today acknowledged it was suffering the lingering effect of the country's economic downturn by reporting a 17.2 per cent fall in its revenue.
The Tokyo-based network said its revenue had dropped to £523 million for the period between April and December. And it admitted that it could see no immediate improvements in its fortunes.
Dentsu said that although improvements in exports and production showed that the Japanese economy was gradually recovering, there was still much uncertainty as indicated by a stagnant employment situation.
During the same period, the group saw its advertising, information services and other business revenue fall 16 per cent, 20.7 per cent and 54.1 per cent respectively.
Dentsu, which has been looking to extend its US profile and reorganize its European offering, fared no better abroad where revenue dropped 35.2 per cent.
Dentsu’s downbeat figures follow predictions by the Japan Center for Economic Research that the country’s total adspend for 2009 will drop by 11.5 per cent from the previous year and that total adspend in all mass media will also fall.
This extremely severe business climate is expected to continue in the second half of the current fiscal year, Dentsu said.
This article was first published on campaignlive.co.uk
- Artworker Fashion & Retail Personnel Consultancy £23000 - £25000 per annum + Outstanding Benefits!, London
- Account Director - Arts Clients PFJ £40000.00 - £45000.00 per annum, London
- AV Account Director (contract) PFJ £35000.00 - £43000.00 per annum, London
- Consumer Insight Manager Jarlett de Grouchy £32000 - £35000 per annum + Bonus + Benefits, London
- Digital Account Manager Dot-Gap £40k, Central London


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Swansway supports new Audi A8
Swansway Accident Repair Centre has added the new Audi A8 to its list of repair specialisms.
Due out later this year, the new Audi A8 has a rear panel made of carbon-fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) and Swansway ARC has been designated its UK specialist repairer. The appoint follows the Crewe based accident repair centre’s £80,000 investment last year in specialist technology to become Audi UK’s only specialist repair centre for their R8 supercar.
Swansway group director, David Smyth explained, ‘The new Audi A8 will join the R8 in using CFRP as a major construction component; this brings our accident repair centre into play again, as the re-designed Audi A8 brings with it the need for our very specialist technicians to undertake the repairs.’
He continued, ‘Martin Smith is one of only five technicians in the world who has been trained by Audi in Germany. He’s qualified and trained to use the latest ultrasound scanning technology which is needed in order to discern whether the integrity of the CFRP has been damaged.’
Every Audi R8 or A8 repair, involving possible damage to the CFRP components, will be co-ordinated by Swansway ARC, with diagnostics and repairs undertaken by specialist CFRP technician, Martin Smith.
‘It’s a real thrill to be one of only five specialist CFRP trained technicians in the world It means I get to work on amazing cars like the Audi R8 supercar and soon to be released new Audi A8. It’s a really special job,’ said Martin.


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Facebook/Oculus has launched the standalone Oculus Go, which is an untethered wireless virtual reality headset similar to smartphone-based VR systems such as Samsung's Gear VR, but with its own built-in Snapdragon 821 SoC instead of using a smartphone:
The Oculus Go, a self-contained headset that offers mobile virtual reality without a smartphone, is going on sale today in 23 countries. The headset's $199 base version has 32GB of storage, and a 64GB version will sell for $249. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg called it "the easiest way to get into VR," and in our review, we've found that it's certainly easy to use — but it still has major limitations.
The Oculus Go lacks 6 degrees of freedom (6DoF), unlike the upcoming Lenovo Mirage Solo. It also has just about 1-2 hours of useful battery life before needing to be recharged for a couple of hours, and the company discourages you from wearing it while it is recharging. SuperData predicts that Oculus Go will outsell all other VR headsets this year. The low price of $200 and untethered design could bring VR closer to becoming mainstream.
At its F8 conference, Facebook hinted at some features coming to its future VR headsets, including variable depth-of-field using physically adjusted varifocal lenses, an increase from a 110 to a 140-degree field-of-view without increasing the size of the headset, and built-in hand tracking. (Also at TechCrunch.) Facebook also announced Oculus Venues, an app for displaying live sports events, concerts, comedy shows, etc. in VR. These live events will begin on May 30.
Also at Tom's Hardware, RoadtoVR, USA Today, and Digital Trends. MIT Technology Review has an interview with Rachel Franklin, Facebook's head of social VR, who admits "there's not much to do" in Facebook Spaces, the company's "social VR app".
Prerendered/captured 180 or 360-degree video is less intensive than games, and most likely less work to make an entertaining experience (making games is hard enough without throwing in VR interactivity features). Although we'll see how well live 360-degree video works on most people's Internet connections.
movies are one of the largest uses for VR headsets right now.
If you look at the Oculus Venues [techcrunch.com] link, you can see a GIF of how live events could be viewed using a VR headset. In some previous comment, I suggested simulating a movie theater, and populating the seats with other people using headsets. You could include audience chatter using microphones, an algorithm that makes the people "nearer" to you in the audience sound louder, and obviously the ability to turn such noise off. Then you just need good headphones to get the closest you can to 3D-sounding audio that mimics the theater experience. There are many [theverge.com] products [ossic.com] that claim to do better at this task; I have not tried any of them.
While Hollywood would probably want to try DRM-enabled Day 1 VR "theater" viewing of movies, at some high ticket price, it should be possible to just share a URL or video file among a small group of friends, and sync everyone up in the virtual theater environment (bonus points for decentralization). Compare to something like Sync Video [sync-video.com] (YouTube seems to be working on a native implementation [techcrunch.com] of this).


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Quantum computing could potentially break much of the encryption algorithms and protocols that currently secure the internet and computational industry as they ...
- Bitcoin Price Rejects $6.9K, But Is a Correction Now Imminent?
- World Health Organization Launches Blockchain Platform to Fight COVID-19
- Donald Trump Just ‘Advertised’ Bitcoin After Fed Creates $6 Trillion
- Most Traders Expect New All-Time High Price for Bitcoin in 2020
- Blockchain Jobs Continue to Rise Despite Global Recession


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States want Apple to pay at least $280M in e-books antitrust case, push for $840MThe state attorneys general suing Apple for price fixing are seeking $280 million in damages and will ask that the court order the award tripled to $840 million in advance of an upcoming damages trial, a new report says.
Apple's closing slide in its e-book antitrust case. | Source: U.S. District Court
The demands were made in a memorandum filed Friday with Judge Denise Cote, the federal judge presiding over the case, according to Bloomberg. The plaintiffs argue that Apple should be subjected to treble damages thanks to the company's "conclusively proven" role as the scheme's leader.
"The three cases pending before this court allege the same conspiracy, by the same conspirators, with the same goals, methods, and effects," the memo reportedly read. The document was sealed upon submission.
Apple was found guilty last July of joining with five major publishers in a conspiracy to fix the price of e-books. As a result of the verdict — which is still under appeal — the company was forced to alter its agreements with publishers and was assigned an external antitrust compliance monitor, a penalty which Apple is also fighting.
A new trial to determine damages in the case is set for May of this year.
On Topic: General
- Apple Stores suffering from 'cult' atmosphere, advancement barriers, says UK staffer
- This week on AI: New MacBook Pro rumors, Apple's answer to Echo, Apple Car charging & more
- Apple details efforts to ease environmental impact at Irish data center
- Jawbone said to end fitness tracker sales, may sell off speaker business [u]
- AirPort Extreme, Time Capsule pulled from U.S. Apple Stores


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Mobile communications provider Qualcomm Inc. has formed a wireless heavy-equipment consortium with equipment manufacturer Komatsu America International Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo-based Komatsu Ltd., and United Rentals, the world's largest equipment rental company.
Qualcomm says its wireless products could enable heavy-equipment manufacturers like Komatsu to further improve customer service and support programs while strengthening their global data networks. For multi-OEM equipment fleet owners like United Rentals, Qualcomm could help optimize asset utilization and reduce owning, operating, maintenance, theft and insurance costs. In addition, heavy-equipment fleets could potentially see improved customer service and new revenue sources, as well as improved productivity of fleet service vehicles.
Qualcomm says it established the wireless heavy-equipment consortium to create standardized mobile communications solutions for the heavy equipment industry with the help of industry-leading manufacturers and fleets. Qualcomm 's consortium will work on development of satellite, terrestrial and multi-mode wireless communications systems based on a common, modular, ruggedized hardware platform.
"We are delighted that two of the world's leading heavy-equipment companies, Komatsu America and United Rentals have joined Qualcomm 's consortium," said Chris Wolfe, president of Qualcomm Wireless Business Solutions. "Customers will collectively benefit from the creation of industry standard products and services and our ability to provide extremely rugged hardware and best-in-class network services worldwide."
"With daily technological advancements and the fast pace at which the industry is moving, joining a wireless technology consortium represents the best interest of our customers," said Steve Day, vice president for Komatsu America Sales and Service. "We realize that mobile communications capabilities will play a significant role in the success of our customers in the future, and see value in being able to provide them with a single communication platform for their entire fleet. Joining this consortium in association with other OEMs affords us the best means to realize this goal and creates an avenue to continually provide unsurpassed communication solutions."
"We rent the industry's largest and most diverse fleet, with equipment from most of the major manufacturers," said Fred Bratman, vice president of corporate communications for United Rentals. "It is critical for our business that we be able to effectively manage the fleet through standardized communications regardless of the manufacturer. As part of Qualcomm 's consortium, we can help develop the industry standard that will bring significant benefits to the industry and most importantly to our customers."
Qualcomm says it is currently in discussions with a number of other construction equipment manufacturers and end-user fleets about membership in the wireless heavy equipment consortium.


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Patrons at some other B.C. music festivals are into ecstasy, meth or cocaine. But that’s not the scene at the Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival.
Indeed, for many patrons of this year’s Roots & Blues Festival, it was all about the vintage.
The newly launched Vine Bar at the festival proved to be a huge draw, as wine-loving patrons got to indulge their palates in some of the regions’ best.
The Vine Bar combined wine and cheese tastings of locally produced products with the opportunity to purchase wine by the glass while relaxing on couches in the shaded bar area – which also featured the cooling spray and soothing sounds of a flowing water fountain.
“It is such a nice oasis in the middle of the festival,” raved Debbie Braby, as she lounged with Cathy Braby over their glasses of Recline Ridge’s Hawk’s Haven red. “It’s a different crowd than you would get at the beer garden, just very relaxed and civilized.”
The Vine Bar offered samples from five wineries: Frequency Wines, Summerhill Pyramid Winery, Kalala Organic Estate Winery and included two Shuswap wineries, Recline Ridge and Ovino. Each winery featured a red and white samplings. There was also Shuswap-made cheeses to sample from Happy Days Goat Dairy and Terroir Cheese.
The Vine Bar was open from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with tastings offered between 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.
“It really has been a huge success,” says Kathy Harder, the volunteer supervisor of the Vine Bar. “It is the first year and so we’ve been working out some kinks as we go, but the feedback has been fantastic and it’s been a very busy place. The main thing we’ve been hearing from people is that they love the cool vibe.”
Harder thinks next year, the Vine Bar will need to be expanded, and they are also hoping to include more Shuswap-area wineries.
“Some of the ones we wanted already had other commitments, but I’ll bet you when they hear about this, they are going to be on-board for next year,” says Harder.
Some of the patrons agreed – wanting to see even more of the Shuswap wines, as well as the ability to purchase bottles of wine to drink in the Vine Bar accompanied with cheese plates.
The combination of wine and the festival proved to be a win-win, as it provided a whole new element for the many wine-loving festival patrons, well as providing exposure to the local industry.
“We’ve had a lot of tourists now planning side trips to these wineries to check them out a little more, which is terrific,” Harder added.
Ovino Winery owner Catherine Koopmans says they plan to return next year, noting her daughter Jessica Gawley, served their products over the weekend and was thrilled with the tent’s set up and ambiance, the well-organized volunteer helpers and the excellent opportunity to promote their business.
“We had someone stop in (Monday) morning with one of the menus from Roots and Blues in hand, saying they wanted to buy the Pinot Tramino, so that was super.”
Albertans Anita Holmes and Kathy Kardelis, both Roots & Blues Festival veterans, said they were really excited about this new addition.
“I’m not a beer or coolers person, so this is absolutely fabulous,” says Kardelis, “Bravo to whoever came up with this idea, it is fantabulous. We will be coming again next year.”


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Seven news stories that show community spirit in a dark time
LOCALS are making Bundaberg shine through adversity.
The global outbreak of coronavirus has led to a feeling of stress and uncertainty for many.
But in the Bundaberg region, community spirit continues to shine.
Here are seven recent stories that show our resilience.
As closures continue because of Covid-19, Pastor Kelvin Rowland is on a mission to secure computers for students who don't have one as schools turn to online learning.
Bargara Brewing Company has sorted out a healthier way to sell you beer while keeping up with the rules.
How does your garden grow in Bundaberg? Well apparently.
Locals have been flocking to the region's plant nurseries to buy up big.
With deliveries becoming more popular and with more and more people staying at home, a new service has launched that allows you to order a delicious meal and have it delivered to someone.
AS hospitality businesses face closures across the nation, Bundaberg Tourism has developed a project to help our eateries adapt and survive the coming months of uncertainty.
EVEN in a time of crisis, LUV is all you need.
Locally United Volunteers (LUV) is a support group that was recently created by residents Annie McGrath, Lorraine Finau and Lyn Mano.
ICONIC local company Bundaberg Rum has stepped up to ensure the supply of much-needed hand sanitiser for Queensland in the midst the coronavirus crisis.


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Mastercard Inc has allowed its workers not to return to work until they are comfortable that the Coronavirus situation is under control with vaccines or precautionary measures, a senior executive told.
Mastercard, the world’s largest payment processor, is also looking at its real-estate footprint and considering consolidating offices, Chief People Officer Michael Fraccaro said.
“We expect in the coming weeks and months that more employees will continue to work from home than come into office,” he said. “And we are OK with that. We support that choice.”
Some of the payment processors’ employees have young children or aged parents, others are concerned about taking public transport to work.
“We have stated upfront to all our employees, that it is their choice. We want them to make the decision on when they feel comfortable returning to the office,” he said.
The company employs nearly 20,000 people globally, with its main headquarters in Westchester, a New York City suburb. Mastercard owns that campus, which it purchased from IBM in 1994.


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What is the anti-diet plan? Calorie counting is so 2021. As consumers embrace all things wellness, dieting is now a dirty word, replaced by the idea of intuitive eating and a slew of apps hoping to make mindful eating easier to navigate.
According to YPulse, there has been a shift in diet culture among Gen Z and Millennials from focusing on weight loss to nutrition and fitness. YPulse also tracked that 57 percent of this group said their diet is unrestricted. Half of the females surveyed shared that they care about their health and being healthy, 13 percent noted they are currently on a diet, diet plan, or taking diet pills, and 14 percent said they count calories daily.
Why the Rise of the Anti-Diet Plan?
“Dieting, in general, is about weight loss and quick fixes,” said Mia Rigden, Los Angeles-based board-certified nutritionist. “It’s not about health and wellness.”
That is now changing as an anti-diet approach takes root. According to MaryLeigh Bliss, chief content officer at YPulse, there are many reasons behind the shift to mindful eating:
• As Gen Z and Millennials have grown up, they’ve been exposed to different information about nutrition.
• These generations have been fueling the body positivity and body acceptance movement for years, and that has had an impact on how they view diets.
• Weight loss becomes less of a goal when bodies of all sizes are more accepted and represented.
Whatever the approach, weight loss is big business in the wellness world. The Global Wellness Institute reported that healthy eating, nutrition, and weight loss grew from $858 billion in 2017 to $912 billion in 2019 to $945.5 billion in 2020 and is forecast to grow 5 percent annually through 2025, to reach $1.2 trillion.
The New Anti-Diet Apps
Trying to tap into the new zeitgeist are apps like Flourish, Wellory and The Body Love Society, which are looking to shift mind-sets around dieting via coaching with a nutritionist or dietician and reestablishing healthy habits.
Flourish, an invite-only app was founded by Claire Siegel, a registered dietitian who believes traditional diets impair physical, mental and emotional health. The app pairs members with a nutritionist and psychotherapist to help them heal from diets and create sustainable healthy habits instead.
“On the app, you’re not tracking your food,” said Siegel. “You’re not eliminating food groups. Our end goal for members is that they tune back into their body signals around what to eat, when to eat and how much to eat.”
That approach is often called intuitive eating, which eschews the idea of weight loss and restriction and a prescriptive approach to what to eat. “Intuitive eating is the opposite of dieting,” said Shana Minei Spence, MS, RDN, CDN. “It’s about getting in touch with your body and its needs. The way to do this is not relying on an app to tell you what to eat and when.”
“Diet culture is so ugly,” said Emily Hochman, founder of Wellory. “It’s so bad for your mental health and it doesn’t lead to long-term results. Eighty-three percent of dieters end up gaining more weight than they’ve lost within the first two years.”
Wellory’s methodology is built on positive additions versus negative subtraction. More than 65 percent of its customer’s primary goal is weight loss, but the path toward that is different from programs that encourage calorie counting.
“Most of our customers are between the ages of 28 and early sixties,” said Hochman. “They’ve tried all these different diets, but none of them work and, most importantly, they’re sick of doing it alone. So what we’re solving for is sustainability, a personalized plan, and the support and accountability for someone to talk to.”
On Wellory, the registered dietitians and licensed nutritionists are known as Wellorists. who educate clients on how to build out meals, while providing grocery lists and recipes to build healthy habits.
• The Body Love Society
Through community and technology, The Body Love Society, an anti-diet app that launched this past December, is also helping its members heal from their experience with diets.
Founded by Jenna Free and Lauren McAulay, who are both intuitive eating counselors, The Body Love Society includes an array of audio workshops and classes by contributing experts like dietitians, physicians, fitness experts, intuitive eating counselors, therapists and yoga instructors, all who come from a non-diet approach.
“People are catching on more quickly that dieting and being obsessed with food isn’t the only way they can do something different,” said McAulay.
Click here to read more about the anti-diet plan.